My Highway One is my favorite guitar and I find the greasebucket tone circuit to be fantastic. That being said, I can definitely understand why people do onot like them. They are the least strat sounding like strat out there(If that makes sense) out side of some of the signature/artist models. I find it to be a very versitile guitar. I can dial down some of the highs and get a nice HB tone on positions 2 and 4 and I can also dial up stratiere tones on the 1,3,5 positions. I have not felt the need to modify it yet, although the schaller locking tuners might get put on some day when I have a few bucks to blow.

The American Special is essentially the next generation of the HWY 1. I have had Texas Specials in a strat before and they are great pu's in my opinion, but they seam to be love em or hate em. It does provide a little more of the traditional strat type of tones.

The above is my opinion and out of experience. No one guitar is for anyone. Play them a lot and see which you like.

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

I've got a H1 with CS69 pups in it, and I love it to death, but I played a SSS American Special about two weeks ago in my local store, and thought it was brilliant. Just a great guitar, fun to play, and with a great neck on it (and I normally don't like maple boards too much).

If I were currently in the market for another Strat, the American Special would be near the top of my shopping list.